Storage of clothing and other articles is a problem faced to one degree or another by virtually every person in virtually every society of the modern world. For example, numerous types of clothing articles are commonly stored in clothes closets, suspended from a clothing hanger which is in turn suspended from, or hung on, a closet rod. Other articles such as clothing accessories and other items may be similarly stored.
Hanging clothing articles in this manner is desirable for clothing articles which might become creased or wrinkled if folded and stored laying flat, such as in a drawer or on a closet shelf. For example, shirts, slacks, jackets, sweaters, blouses, dresses, among numerous other clothing articles, may be stored in a hanging manner.
However, closet space in many dwellings is limited, and therefore space available for hanging clothes may be limited as well. Often, for example, space for hanging clothes within a clothes closet is limited to a single closet rod spanning the length of the closet.
Accordingly, a limited number of clothes may be hung on a single closet rod when the clothes are hung on clothes hangers suspended side-by-side on the single bar.
One solution to this problem has been provided in the form of an elongated bar having a pair of hooks, attached respectively at each end of the bar, for hanging the bar from a closet rod. A number of holes are provided through the bar for insertion of plural clothes hangers, such that when the bar is hung on the closet rod by only a single hook, clothing articles hung on several hangers are suspended in a generally vertical arrangement along the rod and below the hook. While functional, the task of threading a garment hanger hook through a through-hole in such an apparatus may be difficult, and may result in dropping a garment from the garment hanger as the garment hanger is turned or oriented, for insertion of the hook through the through-hole, into positions not suited for retaining the hanging garment.
Moreover, when such a bar is hung, by a single hook, in the vertical position, the second hook simply dangles below the bar, serving no function. The dangling hook may snag clothing or other items, in particular the clothes or hangers that are suspended from the device.
Hence, it is desirable to provide an improvement for the known through-holes and to provide a mechanism for the hooks to be positionable, and securable, in a “stowed” position such that interference of the hooks may be avoided. Further, the ability to place the hooks into a “stowed” position may improve the compactness of a hanging device for better storage or packaging.